LGBTQ Hong Kong: Community Groups (Updated August 2019)

This is a quick list of LGBTQ community groups in English or Cantonese for people in Hong Kong and working notes on life for those who are living / thinking of moving here. Some information has been contributed by community members, so if you have additional groups to add, please reach out via Instagram or Twitter (Facebook if you don’t mind waiting). [Updated 21 August 2019]

If you are looking for general information on culture, media, night life, and meeting people, please check my LGBTQ Hong Kong: A Brief Guide. This list is a work in progress, so please help contribute or correct me where information is inaccurate.

A bit of background:

I’ve been living (mostly) in Hong Kong since 2009 and have been visiting since I was a child. Hong Kong’s changed a lot since I first moved back. The city is one of the most connected in the world, with ubiquitous smartphones, active Facebook and Whatsapp groups, and a growing list of dating apps from Tindr to Recon. Despite the many criticisms of Hong Kong’s same-sex and transgender rights, LGBTQ culture that’s mushroomed publicly in the past few years, and with far less violence compared to North American cities.

While I am not the most active in the LGBTQ community, the social circles are still tight enough so that knowing a few active people keep a healthy trickle of events, English and Cantonese, cultural and social, in my life. I try to compile information from different sources as well to give readers more perspective. 🙂

LGBTQ Community Groups:

The great news is that since I first wrote my LGBTQ Hong Kong: A Brief Guide, I’ve discovered so many local community groups I had to create this separate post.

The English-friendly ones are usually corporate alliances or chapters, Meetup groups, or friend groups that you’ll get into after joining a Pink Alliance event. The Chinese ones can be quickly discovered once you find one active site or group on Facebook (the preferred way of sharing information in Hong Kong). Below is not an exhaustive list and please excuse the short-hand section titles. They’re not as politically correct as they could be.

General

PinkDot is the umbrella organization that organizes Pink Season, Hong Kong’s month-long Pride celebrations. This site has information on the group, their affiliates, and general information for the LGBTQ community. For example, it includes LGBT terms, history, LGBTQ-related media. They even have a summer internship program called the ‘Pink Experience’. Their Facebook group has active updates.

Founded in 2013 by out celebrities Anthony Wong, Denise Ho (HOCC), with support from Legislative Council members Cyd Ho and Raymond Chan. It hosts community events such as concerts, workshops, and panel discussions. It also creates media content for the public.Rainbow HK香港彩虹

Established in 1998, this non-profit has a resource centre in Jordan, a help-line, blood testing service, a library, and hosts regular events. They have an English site.

Planet Ally is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering allyship and aims to provide resources and tools to advance human rights and build resilient communities. In practice, they do a lot of advocacy and event organizing for LGBTQ and inclusion events that intersect with issues such as faith, families, dignity and development. They have organised conferences around LGBTQ travel advocacy (Miles of Love), and LGBTQ families (Rainbow Families).

Founded in 2009, Queer Theology Academy (QTA) helps advocate for and foster theology that is supportive of LGBTQ individuals. They work with other community groups to provide pastoral counseling. Hong Kong has a strong Christian community, which generally is not supportive of LGBTQ initiatives. Although you always have the exceptions, such as the pastor that supported an intersex person who is confident enough to do an interview on television (see Section 7).

Professional

To me, it feels like the professional networks in Hong Kong in recent years are the most active in organizing events. Majority of the push comes from international companies that already have such groups or HR initiatives to support same-sex couples or gender-nonconforming team members.

The most recent court cases in the time of writing have been about marriage recognition for same sex couples and what rights spouses have (a lesbian spouse won the right to a spousal visa in a landmark case). If you work for an international organization and are thinking of moving to Hong Kong, your company likely has an internal network (such as HSBC, Goldman Sachs, CBRE, KPMG, Li&Fung, JLL etc.). If it is, there is likely a company internal network and HR support for you.

Community Business is a non-profit organisation that aims to create more diversity and inclusion (in general) in the workplace, Community Business began research on LGBTQ inclusion in its member private companies. This has since evolved to additional initiatives such as the LGBT Resource Guide for Hong Kong and China, Workplace Inclusion Index, and various conferences for diversity and inclusion.

If you’re looking for work, you can also check out LGBTQ Glassdoor, which is an opensource workplace directory I’d started with Hong Kong locals in the software development agency, Oursky.

LGBTQ Youth

Run by the Boys and Girls Club Association of Hong Kong (BGCA), the project has various supports including a hotline, an HIV testing service, and social events for youth. The website also has information for parents and educators. Facebook group here.

The group includes various universities in Hong Kong (and potentially high school self-organised chapters) open to LGBTQI individuals and allies. It also Organises an Inclusion Recruitment Conference and collaborates with other groups such as Pink Alliance and Community Business.

A non-profit started in 2005 with a strong board of directors, this is basically a one-stop portal to a lot of lesbian-related content, such as groups, events, icons, media. There are parts of the website in English. The portal will bounce you to various older site versions, but just work your way through it! Otherwise, head to the Facebook Group, which shares general media like videos.

It’s run by the Women Coalition, an NGO for the LGBT community. Note: meetings are conducted in Cantonese but all women are welcome to attend. People usually go for dinner together after too. Check the website for updates.

There is a secret group for lesbians on Facebook. If you are interested, message me and tell me your rough dates in Hong Kong and your Facebook profile.

Trans

Quoting the creator and moderator’s message: “Basically a place to discuss and support each other transitioning in an East Asian culture, we are mostly Chinese from Hong Kong but have members from US/UK/PH/SG as well; trans peeps, questioning folks and allies welcome~~”

Organization started by Hong Kong vocalist, illustrator and activistVincy Chan 陳韞, with a focus on genderqueer and non-binary transgender individuals. The group hosts art jam gatherings, clothing drives and is a safe place to meet other queer folks.

Gender Empowerment 性別空間 is an NGO that supports the transgender community in Hong Kong. The events, mostly hosted in Cantonese, have monthly get-togethers, FtM and Mtf support groups, makeup and voice training classes as well as career coaching classes. Facebook group here.

Transgender Resource Centre TGR (Legacy – Closed)
The TGR has been an anchor for the trans community for a decade, founded and maintained by Joanne Leung 梁詠恩, Hong Kong’s first openly trans politician. Unfortunately, the centre has closed as Joanne moved in 2019, but I am keeping this here as legacy to honour the efforts made over these years. The centre began as monthly meeting sessions where participants registered in advance to ensure it was a safe space. Meetings were typically conducted in Cantonese, but a fair number of participants can speak English and Joanne speaks English. The centre grew into a physical space and offered an English and Chinese website with resources for trans individuals and allies. It also had a counselling service and an English Facebook Group.

Asia Pacific Rainbow Families Forum (started in 2017) is a free event that is a wonderful place to meet parents / activists from around the Asia Pacific region to learn their situations, challenges, strategies, and triumphs.

This is part of an LGBTQ series I am doing on Hong Kong and East Asia.

If you know a group / community you’d like to add, please let me know.